, 1887-03-26

Glass OF Yale COllege announced Gnab
they would subscribe 500 for one rife.
Henry Killam, a carriage manufacturers,
gave his name as Il subscriber for one rife,
and it was then that Mr.. Beechtr said:
.KilIam-thats a significant name! a re.
mark which of course brought out great
laughter and applause and which was the
origin of many fierce attacks on Mr.. Beecher
for years after. OF course he always OppO-
sed any use Of arms except i'll strict self
defence, and that was perfectly understood,
not only by his church, but by all sensible
men.
early in the same year Preston s.
Brooks. of South Carolina, made his assault
on Senator Sumner liz the Senate Chamber,
which excited, of course, intense lndigDa-
ton throughout the North. A meeting
was held Ill the Broadway Tabernacle in
New York to d%enounce that outrage, and
as it was managed by highly conservative
men. Mr.. Beechpr was, of course, not ask
cd TO sneak. Yet he was present as q
listener and had no intention OF interior
ring. but the audience ClamOred for him
and shouted till they were hOarse. SO
finally the Chairman Of the meeting invit-
ed Mr.. Beecher to speak. He made a
speech which quite eclipsed all the others
Of the evening and aroused the people TO
the utmost pitch of enthusiasm. 1t made
40 deep an impression that when Fremont
was nominated shortly afterwards, the
Republican managers insisted on having
Mr., Bepcher make a general canvaSthrOugh
some Of the Northern States. Wherever
he smoke he was received with the utmost
enthusiasm.
"I~mmehiately after the election Mr..
Bpecher returned to the work Ofhis church.
MANY people predicted that so much poll
tics would destroy all religion in the church,
but, on the contrary, Plymouth had a
season Of greater religious interest than
ever before, and received the largest mum.
Der of members in its history. This cXpe.
rience was repeated on n still greater scale
in the spring of 1858, when over four hun
dred members joined the church, after a
series of morning meetings which have
never had their equal in interest and varie-
ty at any time.
"Wr. Beechpr was again called on in
1860 to take part in the canvass. He did
not do so, however. to quite the same ex-
tent as in 1856. His church by this time
had taken an important advance in general
prosperity, it's income increasing largely
and Mr.. 3eecher's salary, which had at
first been only 81 500, was gradually in
creased TO $1,000.
MIR. BEECHER IN THE CIVIL WAR.
At the outbreak of hostilities in 1861, Mr..
Beecher Immediately took an active and en-
ergetic part in the cause Of the Union. After
helping to fit out two regiments, he took
upon himself the entire burden of %equipping
O. new regiment called the Long Island Vol
unteers. afterwards the SiXty-seventh New
York. This regiment would never have had
an existence but for the labours of Mr.. and
Mrs. Beecher and the members Of the church
whom they interested in it. Their eldest son
Henry Barton Beecher joined it and was
made o lieutenant. In those days the Co.
vernmen had plenty of men and very little
money, and therefore declined to accept this
regiment for many months after it was or
gained, during which time the entire ex-
pense of feeding and clothing the men was
borne by subscriptions raised by Mr.. Beecher.
It was not until after the battle Of Bull Run,
at the end of July, 1861, that the regiment
was even in form accepted, and not until
much later that it was actually mustered into
the national service.
'This, of course, interfered considerably
with the regular work of the church, but as
soon as this particular labor was over Mr..
Beecber resumed his usual work with fresh
energy, resulting in another large accession
of members in the spring of 1862. During
all the rest Of the war he took an exceedingly
active part in everything connected with the
national interests until, being obliged from
loss of health to revisit Europe IN 1868, ne
made on his way home that famous series OF